Another Memory
by SunilaMoon
Summary: It was as Matt slammed the keys into the ignition that memories of childhood came rushing back to him. There he was, on his way to see Mello for the first time in months... It was just another memory that he'd never forget. R&R, please, thanks.


Over half way through the final level when I felt my cellphone vibrating in my back pocket. I preferred to keep it on vibrate when I played, otherwise the sound wound interrupt me. It buzzed several times, and went silent again.

Several seconds went by. It started buzzing again just as I died, and started up again on the first level.

Once more, I ignored it, not even pulling it out to see who was calling. This was my time to relax, maybe take out my anger on a few computerized enemies. It was more practical then taking it out on another person, or even the dry wall in my apartment. I'd started that last boss fight when the phone finally buzzed again, some fifteen minutes later, and for some reason a feeling of dread crept over me. Under a second passed before I flipped the game off, not bothering to save, and pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

"Mello"

That little flashing name on the screen couldn't be good. _What does that jerk want? _He hadn't contacted me in months, I could only wonder _why now_? Why all of a sudden? We'd bumped into eachother once or twice after leaving Wammy's but...

It'd buzzed three times now, it was almost done, it'd go back into voice mail any second.

"Mello"

That name, displayed on the screen, like a warning, a siren going off. I groaned, and flipped open the phone.

"Yeah, hey, what's up?"

There was silence on the other end before he finally responded, and I couldn't help but notice that he was totally winded when he spoke.

Then he asked me for a hand.

I knew what _that_ meant with him. He was about to drag me into some new mess, deep shit as always. That wasn't new, really, that was just how it always was growing up at Wammy's. Mello was my idol when I was younger, now look at the mess of a person I am. Yeah, thank's Mels. Thank's alot.

Then it occurred to me that the pattern of his speech was different. Usually there were these odd pauses, and snaps, when he'd stop talking for a mili-second to take a bite of chocolate... Where was the chocolate?

You told me to come and get you, you told me where you were, and asked that I make it fast. It wasn't a request at all, it was a demand, a demand I couldn't help but worry about as I flipped the phone shut and grabbed the keys to my car.

Yeah, Mello. Growing up with you was fun. Remember when you'd sneak out, and come back late at night, all fucked up? Then I'd cover for you in the morning, while you were lying in bed buried under a stack of blankets, whining about your hang over?

You owe me for that.

Or when I found your stash of porn under the mattress in your room? I guess you don't owe me for anything there, even if I kept your magazines a secret. I mean, you _did_ have some good shit stashed away. Adolescence. What a strange, and pretty horny, time of life.

So, what is it about today, something to do with Near, right? Yeah, mafia bullshit all because you just want to keep up with Near. You're such an ass, you know that? You leave Wammy's for shitty reasons, you totally dump the only friend you had that year... but you're still trying to be better then Near? God!

It's hard for me, y'know? I have this memory when we were kids, real young.... and I remember you were playing with Near. You know, playing together, like, without the kicking, and yelling, and punching, and running out of the room. That kind of playing. Yeah, I seem to remember you being nice to Near, and not breaking his toys and losing your temper, like most my memories involve. I couldn't have been more then six years old then... Near was even younger. Maybe you guys got along because he hadn't learnt how to piss you off yet. Heh, Or maybe I just made it up. I really looked up to you, but I kinda liked Near too back then. Maybe I didn't want to see you guys fight. That's probably it. I just dreamed it. Maybe I just made my own happy memory.

You were a shitty influence on me. Remember that night one summer, when you filled up a bunch of water balloons and froze 'em? Then you took the ice balls, and we snuck out. And we ran down the street chucking them at street lights, and signs, and mailboxes, anything in our way. Well, you did all the chucking, I just carried them. I always laugh thinking about that. I was ten and you were about thirteen. And you were terrible. Then we got back, with just a few ice balls left that hadn't melted. You climbed the tree in the courtyard so you could try 'n' toss one through the window of Rogers office. You didn't do it, you leaned forward and slipped.

Wound up breaking your leg, I think you sprained some crap too, it was a long fall. You didn't have to explain much, though. The next day the summer heat had totally melted what was left of the ice. No evidence at all of your little rampage, aside from the actual damage. I guess you did have to explain what you were doing in the tree in the middle of the night, but I don't remember much of that... I just remember the next day when you were in bed, and everyone there who actually liked you, or tolerated you, at least, brought you chocolates. I remember that day really well, clearer then anything else.

Yeah, I think you found it worth the trouble. You were practically being rewarded for your behavior.

I wonder if you're expecting chocolate today, you did sound like you might be hurt.....

----

It was another fifteen minutes 'till I got to you, stepping out of the car and walking down the alley where you told me to go. Did you get beat up or something? You always did fight like a girl, you're only any good with fire arms. I couldn't think of anything else you'd need from me, you sort of had better connections. It's not like you needed money or something. Then I heard a shuffling behind a nearby dumpster.

"....Mello?"

I heard the same shuffling again, and I finally caught sight of you sitting next to that flithy dumpster, your cellphone still dangling out of your right hand.

"...'bout time you got here. I tried to call you twice."

Of course you were pissed. Unless everything goes impossibly smooth, or you have a chocolate bar in your mouth to shut you up, you're _always_ pissed. But the dark light in the alley really had betrayed me, and I cringed catching a wiff of burnt skin, and charred leather. Only that got me to realize that I couldn't even see half your body... but my eyes wandered back to your right hand, noticing you had a death grip on your phone and rosary.

"Just help me into the damn car, Matt..."

That was when it went down hill. When I reached down to help you up, and finally saw the half of your body that'd been hidden. Your singed hair, the skin, the leather burnt into your flesh, I couldn't begin to know how fresh this was, just that you hadn't even tried to treat it. And the mess that was your face... Were you even fully aware of it? Had you seen it yet, or would you freak out if you looked in a mirror?

It didn't matter, I was caught between fear and anger, and my mind was jumping through every possibility, everything I could try to do. I had not expected anything this bad.

So I started to strip the vest from your singed flesh, pulling a small flashlight out of my pocket that I kept on my key ring, trying to look at your wounds.

"...God... Mello...."

I kept looking back to your hand, noticing that the cellphone itself had actually been cracked in the middle, and I could see blood dripping down the rosary from your hand. Honestly, the most severe burn I'd ever had I'd gotten on my finger, heating up water for a cup of noodles... I could only imagine what pain you were in. Hell, frankly I _couldn't_ imagine.

"....So... It's bad, then?"

Your tone was odd, halfway between prideful boasting over your injuries, and a desperate attempt to hold in, and keep from crying everytime my hand touched your skin, or everytime you moved.

"Yeah... It's pretty bad."

Pretty bad, and there we were with very few options. You sure as hell weren't going to the hospital, you had to stay off the radar.... The only thing I could think to do now was get you back to my apartment and pick up some drugs later. Heavy painkillers, something for the burn... Some gauze would be a good idea too.

So that was what I did. I helped you up, leaving the scorched remains of your favorite vest in the alley, and walked you to the car, taking care not to touch your burns. Your burns which basically covered the entire left half of your body. Jeez, Mello, How'd you fuck up this bad? You'll have to tell me about it later.

I helped you into the car, and you winced getting in, the broken cellphone and the rosary dropping to the floor of the car. I picked the rosary up for you, but I didn't bother with the cellphone. All it was doing now was cutting up your hand.... besides, you already had a white knuckle grip on the car seat.

_I really need to get you some painkillers..._

I guess this is another stupid memory now, right? Something else we'll look back on when we're old. If we ever get old. I mean, with this Kira shit and all.... Then again, Mello was up there with the mafia, and I was smoking a pack a day. How long did we _expect_ to live? 'Sides, who wants to be old and feeble, relying on others like a little kid again....

But hey, this is an okay memory... 'Cause when I got in the car, and put the keys in the ignition, you smiled at me. Your green eyes wandering back and forth between me... and the boxes of chocolates on the dashboard. Dark and milk, since I didn't really remember which you'd preferred.

On the drive back, you told me exactly what idiot stunt you'd pulled, granted, you didn't call it an 'idiot stunt', but whatever... And the whole time you spoke, you chewed away, your sentences interjected by clean 'snap!'s as you broke off each piece... aswell as the crinkling of the foil wrapper, as you pealed it back for more.

It really reminded me of sitting next to you some years ago.... Playing my old GBA, scribbling crap all over your cast... all while you nibbled away at the bar in your hand.

Maybe I shouldn't have made a detour to pick up the chocolate before coming to get you, those injuries really needed to be treated... but then again, I think you might've needed the chocolate more.

Besides. Even if we probably won't be around much longer.... At least we have the memories. I'll never regret the life I've lived, or the times I've had with you. I'll never forget the wreckless, crazy, shit we've done.

"I always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh.

But I never knew looking back on the laughs would make me cry."

----

**Okay, I felt in the mood to write a Death Note fic, with Matt and Mello. It was actually written as a friendshippy thing, and not a slashy thing.... but I suppose you can take it however you want. **

**As a note to my other readers, I'm still working on my Godchild fics, aswell as a Christmas fic for Hellsing.**


End file.
